Cutting Rocks
by The Queen Of Mischief
Summary: Set in Season 3, when Sawyer and Kate are cutting rocks in their cages. Skate fluff, the works. R&R. Rated T just in case... No violence or sex.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, this is my first Skate fic, so please be nice. Actually, this is my first Lost fic. So, here goes. _

**Chapter 1**

(In this fic, Sawyer and Kate are still trapped in the cages in Season 3.)

She looked at Sawyer, hacking at the rocks. He was clearly picturing Ben's neck under there.

It was that man. The one who always hung around Juliet. The one who'd forced her to take a bath and had made her wear that ridiculous dress.

He looked at her and caught her gaze. He smiled wolfishly.

"Hey, Jules, mind if I borrow Kate over here? Boss's orders." He was lying.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, you useless son of a bitch." She spat.

Sawyer gave her a concerned look. She looked away.

"Now, now, Kate-y, don't be naughty." Said the man.

"Just bring her back ASAP. I don't want to get in trouble." Juliet avoided her eyes.

"Come on," he grinned at her again.

Sawyer made a lunge for him. He was shocked. "Sawyer! James!" she cried to him as she was dragged away.

"Kate," he whispered, still in pain.

Her voice grew fainter.

&

That man pushed her against a tree once they were deep in the woods. He put his hand on the small of her back and slid it down painfully slowly.

"Stop," she sobbed. "Please, stop,"

His hand went under her dress. She cried, and struggled. He did not stop.

&

He dragged back a sobbing Kate. Sawyer dropped his axe-thingy and walked towards her. "Kate." He touched her face. She shook her head and let out a small sob.

"Work's done for today." That animal announced. "I'll see you tomorrow." He winked at Kate. She shivered.

They were allowed to talk on the way back to the cages.

"What did he do to you Kate?" asked Sawyer softly, seeing the bruises on her arms and legs.

She stopped walking and faced him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and buried her face into it. Sawyer knew then, and felt a wave of pain and anger wash over him. He ran his fingers into her hair as she cried. And for that one moment, they were in it together. They were in the same boat. They were alone.

"Come on, lovebirds," said the man escorting them to their cages. Even he had been temporarily softened by the scene in front of him. He gently separated Sawyer and Kate.

"I'm going to let you stay in the same cage. But just for tonight. Got it?"

Sawyer looked up and nodded, because Kate was still crying.

He led her into the cage slowly. She dropped to the ground and cried into her knees.

He wrapped an arm around her and she melted into his embrace. Juliet came late at night and broke off an aloe branch from a nearby plant and handed it to them. "It's for the bruises," she explained. "I'm sorry."

Sawyer took off the outer cover of the branch and gently tugged on her arm. He rubbed the aloe gel gently on her bruises…

_Well? How was it? Kinda short, right? And stupid and pathetic, I know, I know… Well, review anyway!!_

_TheQueenOfMischief_


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's another pointless chapter in this pointless fic, which I don't know why anyone is reading. Enjoy anyways! And pleeease review! :D

**Chapter 2**

It was the middle of the night. Kate, not surprisingly, was having a fitful sleep. After the events of the previous day, anyone could hardly be surprised.

She opened her eyes, briefly, in a daze, wondering where in the world she was. And who she was with.

She looked around, and saw a tall man, with dirty blonde hair, and strikingly bright eyes (not that she could see them now; they were shut as he was sleeping, not too peacefully either, as she could see).

He had a slim but muscular figure, and a chiseled, angular face. If he was a sculpture, he would have put Michelangelo to shame. Even dressed in ragged clothes, he looked like the most charming, handsome man she'd ever seen.

She felt a tug at her heart, and an insane urge to snuggle into his arms. He was Sawyer.

No, not Sawyer, James.

Memories of the previous day flooded into her mind. She remembered everything. Unfortunately.

Dwelling in those thoughts, she didn't notice James sitting up slowly next to her.

"Freckles? What's wrong?" his blue eyes were wide with concern.

She smiled slightly at the nickname which was once said mockingly, but was now just affectionate. "Nothing, couldn't sleep."

"I can understand that." He replied, smiling back, sitting with one leg folded and the other against his chest, to rest his arm on. "Come here." He pulled her close and sat her down in his lap, wrapping his arms around her middle.

He kissed the top of her head lightly, but then just rested his lips in her hair.

"Are we ever going to get out of here, James?" she asked him quietly. "Off this island, I mean, not just here."

"Of course we are, Kate. They can't keep us here forever for no purpose whatsoever, now can they?" he asked, though he had no way of knowing that. He hoped that they would get off the island, of course, but hope wasn't enough.

But Kate didn't question any further. Instead, she just nodded slightly and cuddled into him. He took her hand in his own, and played with her slim fingers.

Soon enough, they went back to sleep.

--

She woke up in the morning feeling distinctly better than she had the previous night. This was probably because she was cuddled into James's arms.

James was still fast asleep. She knew it would soon be time to get up and start going, but he looked so peaceful, she couldn't bring herself to wake him.

Just then, that guy who'd let her and James sleep in the same cage came over. He beckoned her over silently, seeing Sawyer was still sleeping.

He hissed, almost without opening his mouth, for her to turn her back to the camera so that what the both of them said could not be intercepted by the person in the security room.

She did so. Quietly, almost embarrassedly, he asked "I- I heard what happened…to you…yesterday. What Tom did. And I insisted on supervising you and your, er, friend, for a while. If not me, then Tom would be doing it."

"Oh. OH. Well. Thanks. I suppose." She said awkwardly.

He nodded his acknowledgement, and gave her a small smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay." She returned the smile, but her's was a bit shaky.

He nodded again. "I've got you some food. They were planning on making you work hungry today. It's not much, but it was all I could get without being noticed."

"Thank you." She said sincerely, taking the pack of food. Then added, "I'm Kate."

He grinned this time. "I know. I'm Caleb. But most people call me Bob, for some reason."

She grinned back.

Just then, some unknown person came over. "What are you doing, Bob?"

"Nothing, Jim. Just telling her that work starts at 7. And any delay means no food for the rest of the day. So. Hurry up." He said it with a pointed look at Kate, as though passing on a hint in some secret code. It sounded unconvincing, but Jim bought it.

"Come on, Juliet's been calling for you for ages." Jim said and started walking away before narrowing his eyes and sneering at Kate. Bob managed a brief smile before wiping his face of all emotion and striding back after Jim.

"What was that all about?" asked a tenor voice.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." She chirped. "That was just our guardian angel, come to help us."

He gave her a quizzical look and she showed him the food. His eyes widened. "No kidding." Then he smirked. "Look's like you've got a crush on someone…" but she caught the tiny bit of worry in his voice.

She smiled back and said "You know I have eyes for no-one but you, Sawyer."

He kissed her lightly. But she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, more passionately. Powerless, he kissed back, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her hands tangled themselves in his messy hair. Her lips parted.

But soon, they had to break off, shove the food down their throats, and go off to cut rocks.


	3. Chapter 3

Ooh, almost forgot! Credits to Evershort for helping with the ideas for chappie 2! Thank you!!

**Chapter 3**

While Kate and Sawyer worked at the rocks, they listened in on the conversation Caleb was having with Tom. They appeared to be arguing. This was pretty much all Kate could make out:

Bob(Caleb): I'll watch the prisoners, Tom. You can go. Juliet wants you, didn't you hear me?

Tom: [Wolfish grin] What if I don't want to go? I don't. I think I'll just stay here. Maybe _you_ should go see what Juliet wants and _(insert high pitched mocking voice) _'assist her in every way possible'. That is what you're here for, isn't it, _Bob?_ It's what you told me in the job interview, wasn't it?

Bob: That was a long time ago, Tom. Things have changed. And I don't assist _you_. I assist _Juliet._ And she told me she wants _you._ So I'm going to assist _her _'in every way possible' and make _you_ go and do what she wants.

Tom: You don't know who you're messing with, _boy._

Bob: Yes I do. Now unless you want me to go call Juliet to confirm that it _was_ in fact _you_ she asked for…

Tom: You won't get away with this that easy boy. Mark my words.

Bob: [Coldly] Consider them marked.

Tom: (snarls and stalks off)

-- End conversation--

Once the coast was clear, Bob walked over to where Kate and Sawyer were working and said, grinning slightly, "You don't have to look like you actually care so much about cutting the rocks anymore."

Both of them instantly dropped their tools and stood up, stretching their backs.

Kate asked something that was niggling in her mind. "What did you mean when you said things have changed?"

He grinned. "You heard that, huh? Yeah, I didn't know what I was signing on for when I accepted the job offer. I was studying to become a doctor. I'd almost finished my studies at John Hopkins and was looking for a temporary job, so I wouldn't be on the streets the minute I finished school, when I came across the Dharma Initiative.

"It seemed like a good title to have on my resume, or at least, that's what they convinced me to believe. I had no idea what I had signed on for. I never intended any of _this._

"They just said they were going to an island for a few days for some research and they needed me. But once I got here, they wouldn't let me go back. They called themselves researchers, but I think this is something else. Something big. Huge."

Kate studied him. He looked to be about twenty-five, which was, of course, pretty young for someone almost graduating from _John _freaking_ Hopkins_. He was tall, about the same as Sawyer, maybe a bit taller.

But where Sawyer was muscled, Bob was lean. He didn't look like he'd done even a moment's hard labor in his life, thus the general scarcity of muscles.

She knew he was probably some sort of super genius, and he certainly _looked_ super-genius-y enough. With bright blue eyes that seemed to catch everything and a silky, but messy mop of dark brown hair, he didn't fit in at all with the rest of 'The Others', who were crude, crass, and boorish.

"What exactly do you mean by, huge? Is this some giant experiment where the survivors of Oceanic flight 8-15 are the guinea pigs?" asked Sawyer, seemingly Zen, and calm.

"I don't know. Maybe. I know something about them narrowing the number of you down, till there are only one or two left, who haven't died, been murdered, committed suicide, wandered off on their own, been killed by the swarm, or that giant monster, or died because of that polar bear. I don't know what that thing is doing here. Or was. You killed it, didn't you?"

Kate shrugged, almost apologetically. "It was self-defense."

"Don't worry about it. They meant for it to happen."

"Why?" asked Sawyer. "Why specifically _us?_"

"I have no clue. They wanted to select the most 'worthy' for their experiment, I think."

Sawyer shook his head in frustration, now, and muttered something under his breath.

Just then, Tom came back and scowled. "Getting lenient, are we, _Bob_?" he said mockingly, jerking his head towards Kate and Sawyer, who ducked their heads and started work again.

Tom rolled his eyes impatiently and said "We have orders to send them back to their cage_s._ Different ones, Bob. Juliet didn't quite like the stunt you pulled yesterday."

Caleb scowled, but turned red, somewhat. Tom appeared to be enjoying himself. Kate studiously concentrated on not killing him. She decided, instead, to think about Sawyer. It worked as a distraction.

Tom sauntered off, with all the self assuredness of a man who'd just defeated his mortal enemy right after muttering a few more things to him, which neither Sawyer or Kate could hear. Caleb rolled his eyes at Tom's departing figure and muttered something about Tom which sounded less than pleasant before snapping (to keep up the façade) at Kate and Sawyer, "Move it. We haven't got all day."

To keep up appearances, Sawyer scowled intensely and Kate gave her 'captor' a dirty look. They started walking towards the cages. Once there, in their privacy, Caleb apologized.

"Sorry, you can't sleep in the same cage tonight. You heard Tom. If I ignore the orders of the Almighty Juliet, again, they'll kill me. Or worse." He shuddered at the thought of what had happened to previous acquaintances of his. But he handed them some more food, which he must have taken earlier.

Kate and Sawyer nodded their understanding. "What's going on, though? Why do we get to stay in our cages?"

For the first time, Caleb looked excited. "They say a friend of yours is coming to look for you. I hope they make it, but chances are slim. This place is rigged with traps and security cameras. Virtually impenetrable." He shrugged. "But it's been done. So I hope whoever comes is smart."

"It must be Jack." Said Sawyer. Kate nodded in agreement.

"Jack? The doctor?"Caleb looked even more excited. Kate grinned. Sawyer smirked.

"Yep. Once we all get out of here, you two can go on a date and talk about _all_ the medical stuff you want to." Said Sawyer, jokingly.

Caleb, however, frowned. "What does that mean, once _we_ get out of here? You're taking me with you?" he looked hopeful, but tried to mask it with the fact that the chances of him managing to escape with the rest of them was slim.

Sawyer looked at Bob as though it weren't even a question. "Of course we are. Unless…you don't…_want_ to go?"

Caleb looked as if he might actually cry. "You have no idea for how long I've been fantasizing about getting off this godforsaken island. Thank you."

Kate nodded. "Just don't get brainwashed before we leave or anything."

He grinned. "You heard about that, too?" when they nodded, he said "Yeah, well, they only re-brainwash people who've gone to the extremes. Like set free a prisoner, or kill a fellow colleague."

"Yeah, well, be careful, still."

He nodded. Then, a voice, presumably Tom, yelled "Hey, BOB! Come 'ere, NOW!"

He glanced in the direction of the voice and said "I have to go." He waved and started to run.

"Nice kid." Commented Sawyer.

"I feel sorry for him. How's he going to finish his course once he gets back?"

"He said it was almost over, so if he can take his final exams and stuff and be done with it… plus, I'm sure anyone can understand the _reason_ he was missing."

She smiled.

_Turns out, I'd actually typed out this chappie a couple of days ago, but forgotten to publish it! Silly me. Sorry for the wait, though. :) REVIEW!!!_


	4. Chapter 4

HEY!! I think this chappie has a BIT too much about Caleb. But that's probably cos I like Caleb. He's cute!!! xD Anyhoos, sorry, I must focus on the MAIN PEOPLE!! AKA Sawyer and Kate. Okay. Once I'm done with Caleb, I shall somehow make intense SKATE fluff!!!! Or at least, I'll try. It's a bit hard to have two people make out when they're in separate cages a short distance apart, but I shall try my best. Okay, I'll stop typing now and let you get on with the story!! Please excuse all the exclamation points and the words in CAPS lock. My bad. I'm HYPER. WHEEEEEEE.

**Chapter 4**

For the most of the night, Sawyer and Kate just sat in their respective cages and watched each other. Gripping the vertical, rusted iron bars of the cage, Kate pressed her face lightly through the gap in between the bars.

She felt cold. It hadn't been like this the previous night. Well, that was probably because she had been curled up in Sawyer's arms. She just couldn't bring herself to call him James, could she? She thought to herself angrily. But a small voice in the back of her head told her that he preferred Sawyer. Who was she to make this judgment, though? She inwardly rolled her eyes.

Meanwhile, Sawyer looked at her from his side, as thoughts reeled through his head. He was head over heels in love with Kate and he'd accepted it long ago. He watched her actions, every little movement of her fingers or when she impatiently pushed her long-ish hair behind her ears to keep it out of her face.

Nearby, Caleb was about to be sick. Seeing these two staring at each other like lovesick puppies. It was something he'd never witnessed before, nor cared to.

He wasn't really a touchy-feely sentimental person. He'd never had anyone to be touchy-feely group hug-y with. His mom had died giving birth to him, specifications unknown, thanks to his uncaring father. Or, as the case happened to be, step-father. Or, half-father.

He wasn't sure _what_ it was called. He didn't think anyone had actually defined a word for the person his 'guardian' was to him. They certainly weren't biologically related. His mother, briefly after marrying his step-father, had had a brief, one-night stand with his actual father, whom Caleb never knew.

The fling, of course, made his step-father furious, and instantly hated Caleb, whose only mistake was that of birth. When his mother died during childbirth, it left no-one to protect him from his abusive, drunkard of a step-father, who treated him like his own personal, indentured slave.

As a child, Caleb would consider himself lucky if he was allowed to sleep indoors and given a few scraps of food a day. This was sort of what drove him to work as hard as he had, the will to get out of his step-father's clutches as soon as possible. When he had been accepted into John Hopkins, he doubted there was or ever would be anyone happier than him, in the world.

He was, apparently, wrong. Kate and Sawyer looked perfectly ecstatic. He shrugged inwardly. Maybe he was just weird. Probably so.

--

Just then, Jim **(A/N remember Jim?? If not, look back to Chapter Two! You should find him there.)** walked over. "Hey, Bob, we need that one." He jutted his chin towards Sawyer. "Jules asked personally." He appeared to be proud that Juliet had entrusted so 'important' a task upon him.

"Did she say why?" asked Caleb.

Clearly, this level of inquisitiveness was beyond Jim's limited mental capacity. **(A/N to all 'Jim's out there, this is CLEARLY not personal.. So. Don't be pissed or anything.)**he shrugged and scratched his thinning scalp. "No…I don't think so. Something about getting information or somethin'. I dunno."

Caleb rolled his eyes and gave Sawyer a look that said 'You see what I have to deal with?'. Sawyer sniggered.

He didn't appear too worried, thought Kate. Maybe that was to make her worry less, but it was a futile attempt that only made her worry more. What were they going to do to him? she wondered, panic rising in her throat. She felt an invisible, icy fist wrap itself around her face, suffocating, and silencing, her.

Sawyer gave up being nonchalant, and glanced her way in worry. "Will you be okay?" he mouthed. She gave him a helpless look and mouthed back "Will you?"

He attempted a weak smile as Caleb unlocked his cage. Kate winced inwardly as she thought of their captors' definition of retrieving information. Caleb deliberately kept a weak grip on Sawyer's arm and jerked his head subtly towards Kate (though this subtlety was purely a formality. They all knew that Jim was too, [er, excuse the rhyme,] dim to take any hint that anything out of the ordinary was taking place).

Sawyer fake-wrenched his arm free and made a dash for Kate's cage. He reached his hands through and gripped her hands. "I love you," he whispered. She nodded. "I love you too. Be careful,"

Unable to restrain some humor, he smiled "When am I not, Freckles?"

She laughed, but it was forced. Freeing one of her hands, she stroked the side of his face, brushing her fingertips against his unkempt hair.

Jim finally registered the reaction that was expected from him in this situation, and lumbered towards Sawyer, pulled him away from the cage and started yanking him along. "Jules wants you to stay here," he said to Caleb.

He seethed. Juliet had a reason for that, as she did for everything. She didn't want him to see what they did to Sawyer, a notion from which he could infer that whatever they were going to do to Sawyer was not going to be very pretty.


End file.
